The root of all good
Like most of America, money has been on my mind a lot lately. Ironically, the less of it you have, the more it seems to weigh. When I watch the news, read print headlines or virtually talk to anyone who has a strong opinion about financial bailouts, this thought keeps running through my head: Money is the root of all evil. Although the origin has been debated, this phrase was most likely first spoken in the Bible. And has been miss quoted for a couple thousand years. Jesus actually said, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Which means we’re even more screwed. The difference here is more than semantics. The word love makes it emotional. And it puts the responsibility where it belongs: the human, not the dollar. After all, money is a mere object that people made almighty. We’ve given it power. We’ve given it life. Last year, we even gave it a facelift. Only kidding. Here is the real redesign – just in case you went to your wallet to see for yourself – and found it empty. So if the love of money is the root of all evil, what’s the root of all good? Is there a currency for that? Can you save a few small allowances of wonder and purchase an order of joy? And maybe a side of smiles? (I’m going to stop this analogy now before I call it a Happy Meal and risk trademark infringement. And my dignity.) But, I really do wonder what’s at the root of all good. And if the love of love became its own payment system, would the government also need to help us regulate that? (Insert your own commentary on Prop 8 here.) Would the greedy among us hoard love? And then lie about it? Would the commoners have to lock what love they have up at night? I don’t think so. I think if love had as much tangible power as money, there would be fewer padlocks. Less financial-related depression. And more sustenance – regardless of what’s for dinner. There would be more of an inclination for sharing – if for no other reason than the fact that you’d really have nothing to lose. Only a lot to gain in the form of reciprocity. For the record, I realize affection can’t clothe and feed you. And you can’t drive happiness to work. Or use goodness to pay for your children’s education. But, nowadays, most people can’t pay for school with money, either. So I think we should try it. Let’s live as if love is the root of all good. Let’s use it to help build a nation rich in respect, honor and understanding for each other. Let’s remember love is patient. Love is kind. Love is kinda like weed. Except legal in all fifty states. Let’s make sure we have plenty of love to hand down to future generations. And learn to manage it with wisdom. But most importantly, when we […]
Mar 26th, 2009 by Michelle Sieg
Art and money
It’s hard to keep your eyes off the blood on the walls. I’m talking about the work of Steve Somers, a graduate of both Milwaukee’s High School of the Arts and MIAD. He’s worked as a curator, exhibited at the now-defunct Luckystar Gallery, the Milwaukee Art Museum as part of several Cedar Block events, and most recently at the Acrylic Age Gallery in Berlin (Germany – not Wisconsin). We’re in his home discussing a few things – chiefly how he walks the line between making a living and making art. Steve spends his days working commercially for clients like McDonald’s and Disney and spends his free time painting (as well as putting together a self-published book of his own work – Individuals in a Group – available later this year). I’d look out of touch if I didn’t ask the most obvious question – the one you can’t escape from these days: “Has the economy effected your work?” Steve initially answers “No,” and then, quickly, “But I haven’t scheduled any shows this year.” Steve explains that he’s going to spend the time “working on bigger pieces; more epic works” and that he’s challenging himself and “concentrating on painting.” No one could ever look at Steve’s work – chuck-full of festering wounds, contorted figures writhing in agony and bizarre plant life – and accuse him of playing to the consumer, but he echoes what I’ve heard from several area artists. Instead of following the retail trend to lower prices and produce smaller less expensive work artists have begun just get back to basics – making art. An upside to the current economic slump? Well, there’s got to be a silver lining – right? Art made with the purest of intentions, bucking the decade long trend of art for commerce and returning to art for art’s sake, sounds 99.9% pure. See Steve’s art: http://stevesomersart.com/
Mar 26th, 2009 by Gene Evans
Vote For Your Favorite Milwaukee Streetcar Route
The submissions are in, and it's time to pick your favorite.
Mar 25th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
What’s Your Font
We are constantly bombarded with typed word. Are you as tired of looking at billboards and computer generated fonts as I am? Well this gallery is aimed at showing YOUR personal hand written or painted font around Your city.
Mar 25th, 2009 by Alice Waraxa
What Should Matt Write? Wednesdays
Welcome to the 47th installment of “What Would Jesus…No, Wait…What Should Matt Write? Wednesdays,” the criminally underrated blog that gives you, the reader (Hi Steve!), the chance to determine what my next criminally underrated blog should be about. If you’re a little foggy on how the whole thing works (and who isn’t these days?), it breaks down like this: I present the opening lines from some unfinished junk I’ve been working on, and you vote for the one you’d like to see me finish. You can do this by simply leaving a comment on the bottom of this page, or, preferably, by stopping by my apartment and delivering your vote in person. Please? I’m so lonely, so scared, so… Ahem. Without further ado – save for a completely necessary picture of Aunt Jackie from Roseanne – here are this week’s candidates. Have fun! Laurie Metcalf: 1955-2006. Also good in Uncle Buck. 1. “If there’s a single subject guaranteed to annoy/bore the pants off of everyone, it has to be the endless ‘death of journalism’ debate. Here’s a helpful hint: if you ever find yourself reading a blog – yes, a blog bemoaning the state of journalism! – and it includes the terms ‘new model,’ ‘blogosphere,’ or ‘Are you as disgusted by the state of American journalism as we are? Don’t forget to become a fan of us on Facebook!’ turn off your computer, step away from your desk, and call 911: you’re about to kill yourself.” 2. “So as to not offend ThirdCoast’s many senior citizen readers/writers, the following blog will be free of any vulgarities, obscenities, or otherwise crass language. But seeing that it won’t go live until long after 7PM, maybe I’m in the clear; aren’t you fucking people in bed already? Whoops! 3. “DJ, you ignorant slut.” 4. “If you’re a regular follower of my ThirdCoast blog, you know what a pleasure it is for me to share my innermost thoughts, my deepest fears, and my quick and easy scrapbooking tips. Also, if you’re a regular follower of my ThirdCoast blog, you must have the patience of a saint: seriously, what’s up with the ‘navigation’ on this site? Sometimes my stuff pops up, sometimes it doesn’t. Did someone say ‘Sounds like my honeymoon?’ Thank you.” 5. “Twitter: boy oh boy, old people can’t get enough of this shit.” That’s it for this week! Feel free to pay tribute to the state of Illinois by voting as many times as you like. I’ll have the completed piece posted sometime next week, after which I’ll take everyone who voted out to dinner. Please? It’ll be fun, really! You just don’t understand how alone and cold and empty and scared a man can be. Oh, God…I can…I can feel Death’s grip tightening, ever tightening… See you next time!
Mar 24th, 2009 by Matt Wild
Kitty Corner, Across the Freeway
This is how County Executive Scott Walker described just how close UW-Milwaukee's new Engineering School could be from the Milwaukee County Research Park.
Mar 24th, 2009 by Dave Reid
Doyle at Milwaukee Evers Gig
Governor Jim Doyle was in Milwaukee yesterday.
Mar 24th, 2009 by Michael Horne
Design Your Own Streetcar Route
UrbanMilwaukee would like to issue you a challenge. With the announcement that Mayor Tom Barrett with the help of Congressman David Obey and Senator Herb Kohl managed to get 60% of the $91.5 million for his streetcar vision, it’s time to think about what the final route may be. There is a simple reality any Milwaukee streetcar proposal must deal with though, there is only enough money for an initial 3 miles. So here’s the game. 1. Create a Google Account or use an existing one. 2. Create a route (not longer than 3 miles) using Google Maps. Don’t know how to do this? There is an introductory video. 3. Paste a link to your route in the comments of this post. 4. Wait until Wednesday afternoon, at that point we’ll put together a poll so we can vote for the best one. Can’t wait to see what you come up with, whether it’s a line to Bay View or UWM, or perhaps a completely different loop around downtown.
Mar 23rd, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
the Comet (or Fuel, or Palomino, or wherever) “Rockstar Menu”
Fig.1: Taking Back Sunday. Would you trust these douches to hire a marketing firm to design your lunch? Hola, amigos. How’s it going with you? I know it’s been a long time since I rapped at ya. I’d like to say that I’ve been putting off my first Third Coast Digest blog post because of something important, but I won’t hose you—I’ve been playing way too damn much Lexulous over on Facebook. If the internet is an opiate of masses, Lexulous is heroin—you sit down at your desk, think “all right goddamn it, this time I’m gonna finish that rant about the majesty of broasted chicken that’s sitting on my mac’s desktop,” and suddenly you’re all, “but first, I’m gonna see if I have any Lexulous moves to make” and before you know it you’re unconscious in front of your computer at 7 AM with three games up, a bottle of Jack and a Google search that reads “Meg White COME ON SHOW ME HER NAKED” that yields no results. Anyway. So Saturday night I was at the Denny’s in Waukesha—excuse me, Rockesha–after going to see some Great Lakes Championship Wrestling with some pals (the main event of which featured Scott “50-Year-Old Beer Gut Wrapped in an ICP T-Shirt” Hall and Kevin “Debateably Sexy” Nash of the long-irrelevant nWo vs. The Old Dog Jesse James and the “Dear God you’re in your 40s and you’re wearing pink wrestling trunks with lips on them and an obvious thong, holy shit you’re embarrassing to look at” Billy Gunn, aka 90s WWE tag team The New Age Outlaws. Man, there’s no better Saturday night than one spent watching creepy old drunk dudes pretend to hit each other—am I right, North Side? They called it “the match they didn’t want you to see,” referring to some apparent cease-and-desist order sent by the WWE, but I’m guessing they didn’t want us to see it because they knew it’d be a stinker and they were concerned about our wallets in these troubled economic times). Have you been to a Denny’s lately? I mean, even if it’s just to dine ironically, it’s not a bad thing to slum once in a while, and really, it’s no worse for you than anything at Palomino (although, ok, sure, fewer vegan options for those of you who have forgotten bacon is awesome. Fine). Fig.2: Hall and Nash in happier, thinner, less Juggalo-infused times So I’m paging through the menu and I stop across the “Allnighter Rockstar menu” and I immediately begin laughing. There in front of me for my ordering pleasure are the “Taking Back Burger Fries” “by” Taking Back Sunday, and the “Plain White Shake” “by” Plain White T’s (which at least is appropriate—something vanilla and bland). Apparently I’m not the first one in Blogsylvania who’s WTF’d at this, either: I’m just not sure how to feel about this, and that’s what scares me. Should I feel guilty because it makes me hungry? Is it just biz as usual? […]
Mar 23rd, 2009 by DJ Hostettler
M.O.R.E. Ordinance Approved by F&P Committee
The controversial M.O.R.E ordinance which had been sent to committee at the previous Common Council meeting was further debated at this Finance & Personnel Committee meeting.
Mar 23rd, 2009 by Dave Reid
Weekly Bookmarks – Monday, 23. March 2009
City plans hearings for sick-day rules Plale and Richards announce $240 million for UWM clears first hurdle : The Bay View Compass Regional transit CAN positively impact property tax, economic development and the environment. « Launch Milwaukee [beta] Doyle seeks full cost of faster train line – JSOnline Hilton Garden Inn construction starts by June – JSOnline MIAD to open new dorm in 3rd Ward – The Business Journal of Milwaukee: County Board rejects Walker’s St. Michael Hospital plan – JSOnline Milwaukee city property values fall 5% – JSOnline Can We Fix Our Budget With Pricier Parking? « Walker’s Point Citizens Allied for Sane Highways: SEWRPC gets ready to decide: no public input, thank you Milwaukee Talkie: Regional identity could help Great Lakes cities leverage their assets Plan encourages development of water industries – JSOnline $1.5 billion city property value decline projected « Milwaukee Rising Milwaukee housing authority targets stimulus projects Housing agencies hurting | Superior Telegram | Superior, Wisconsin MilwaukeeWorld: TRANSPORTATION FUND IMPASSE BROKEN, CITY TO GET RAIL Franklin Staybridge Suites is open, construction on downtown location halted – BizTimes Barrett to meet with Biden about stimulus plan today – BizTimes Condo development’s receiver wants sales rescinded – JSOnline WisDOT: Objectivity guides stimulus selection Places Worth Caring About « Walker’s Point Third Ward group cancels Summer Sizzle jazz festival – JSOnline Milwaukee County buses will add bicycle racks by spring – JSOnline OnMilwaukee.com Dining: Brick 3 Pizza to open on Old World 3rd Street The City (Inadvertently) Makes The Case For TIF Transparency | Progress Illinois Condo development’s receiver wants sales rescinded – JSOnline
Mar 22nd, 2009 by Dave Reid
